DeChambeau in front

Golf: Straka in midfield after Masters opener!

Sepp Straka(Bild: AFP)

Sepp Straka's opening round at the Golf Masters in Augusta didn't quite go to plan!

The Viennese played a 73 in difficult, windy conditions on Thursday, one stroke above the course standard, and thus finished in the middle of the field. For the time being, the US American Bryson DeChambeau is in the lead with 65 strokes, just ahead of top favorite Scottie Scheffler (66). However, the first round will not be completed until Friday. By nightfall, 27 of 89 players were still on the tricky course at Augusta National Golf Club after the opening round had to be postponed by a few hours due to the weather. 

Straka completed all 18 holes due to his early start time - with varying degrees of success. The world number 29 recorded a birdie on the "front nine" and remained unbeaten. However, he conceded a bogey on both the tenth and 17th holes, dropping him back to 42nd place for the time being. The ÖGV golfer particularly struggled with the strong wind in his third Masters appearance.

"It was really difficult out there!"
"You didn't know which direction it was coming from. It was quite difficult to get the ball into the right position," explained Straka, who nevertheless gave a solid account of himself. "It's not the worst score. I missed a few putts unfortunately. But I'm relatively happy on the whole, it was really tough out there."

DeChambeau, meanwhile, masterfully navigated his golf ball through the gusts and scored eight birdies with just one bogey. "That was one of the best rounds I've played in a long time," said the 30-year-old LIV player. His compatriot Scheffler made it to the clubhouse without dropping a shot. "I did a good job and stayed patient," explained the world number one and father-to-be, who is on "call" for his pregnant wife Meredith.

Tiger Woods only completed 13 holes on Thursday before it got too dark due to the late hour. With 1 under par, the 48-year-old is in 17th place. The five-time Masters winner also had to contend with the conditions. "The wind was everywhere. It was one of the most difficult days I've ever experienced," said Woods, who now has to tackle 23 holes on Friday.